Flash Flood Warnings Cover Parts of Eastern New York as 5.5 Inches of Rain Fall in Peekskill

The National Weather Service has issued multiple flash flood warnings for parts of eastern and southeastern New York early Wednesday morning as heavy rain has already produced 1 to 5.5 inches of accumulation in some locations, while separately the Danube River in Budapest has dropped to a record low of 31 centimeters amid a broader European drought and an ongoing heat wave in Hungary.

Flash Flood Warnings Issued Across Eastern New York

The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Flash Flood Warning for northwestern Columbia County, eastern Greene County and northeastern Ulster County in east central New York until 7:30 a.m. EDT. [1] At 4:17 a.m. EDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain across the warned area with between 1 and 3 inches of rain already fallen and an additional 1 to 2 inches possible. [1] Flash flooding is ongoing or expected in that region. [1]

A separate Flash Flood Warning issued by the National Weather Service in Upton covers western Putnam County and northern Westchester County in southeastern New York until 6:15 a.m. EDT. [2] At 4:15 a.m. EDT, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated heavy rain falling in Peekskill where between 3.5 and 5.5 inches of rain have already fallen. [2] Rainfall rates of 0.75 to 2 inches per hour are expected with another 1 to 2 inches possible in the warned area. [2]

The National Weather Service in Albany has also extended a Flash Flood Warning for south central Greene County and northeastern Ulster County in east central New York until 7 a.m. EDT. [5] At 3:48 a.m. EDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain across that warned area with between 1 and 3 inches already fallen and up to an additional 1 inch possible. [5] Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in those counties. [5]

Minor River Flooding Underway on New Jersey's Saddle River

The National Weather Service in New York has issued a Flood Warning for the Saddle River near Lodi affecting Bergen County in New Jersey. [4] Minor flooding is occurring and is forecast to continue from early this morning to late this morning. [4] At 5.5 feet the Saddle River begins to overflow into the back parking lot of the Boys and Girls Club. [4]

Danube Hits Record Low in Budapest Amid European Drought

The Danube River near Budapest reached a record low of 31 centimeters on Tuesday morning according to the General Directorate of Water Management. [3] This reading broke the previous record of 33 centimeters set on October 25, 2018. [3] At 3 a.m. Tuesday the water gauge at Vigadó Square read 32 centimeters before dropping further to 31 centimeters by 8 a.m. [3]

Multiple other gauges on the Danube also set new lows. [3] At 8 a.m. the water level fell 2 centimeters below the previous record at Vác, 10 centimeters lower at the Kvassay Lock in Budapest, 4 centimeters lower at the Tassi Lock in Tass, and 5 centimeters lower at Dunaújváros. [3] At Nagymaros the water level remained 2 centimeters higher than the prior low and at Ercsi it was 4 centimeters higher, though both were expected to break records soon. [3]

Critically low water levels have developed across many of Europe’s rivers and on some rivers navigation and freight transport are no longer possible. [3] The water level on the Zagyva is significantly influenced by releases from reservoirs that are running dangerously low. [3] The Mátraverebély Reservoir had already run dry by July 16 and by Tuesday morning the Tarján Creek Reservoir contained only 85,000 cubic meters of water, meaning releases from that reservoir will soon have to stop. [3]

Hungary Issues Heat Alert as Reservoirs Run Low

Hungary is under a Level 3 heat alert issued by the Chief Medical Officer effective from midnight on Thursday until midnight next Tuesday. [3] Forecast highs are 36 to 38 degrees Celsius with little or no significant rainfall expected in the coming weeks and another warming trend that will increase evaporation. [3] Water temperatures of 25 to 27 degrees are forecast for the Lake Balaton region. [3]

Authorities warn that the prolonged heat wave poses a serious health risk particularly to the elderly, children, pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses. [3] The public is urged to stay hydrated, avoid the heat during midday hours and refrain from lighting outdoor fires while it is prohibited to leave children or pets in parked cars. [3] The primary task for the Maconkai Reservoir remains ensuring drinking water for 15,000 people so water supply from that reservoir will not be used for other purposes. [3]

Broader Weather Context

The flash flood warnings in eastern New York follow heavy rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches in Columbia, Greene and Ulster counties with 3.5 to 5.5 inches already recorded in Putnam and Westchester counties. [1] [2] [5] At the same time the Danube at Budapest has fallen to an all-time low of 31 centimeters while Hungary faces a Level 3 heat alert through next Tuesday. [3] Minor flooding continues on the Saddle River near Lodi into late morning. [4] The contrast highlights active flash flooding in the northeastern United States alongside extreme low water levels and heat conditions in central Europe. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

What to watch next: the Level 3 heat alert remains in effect until midnight next Tuesday with peak temperatures of 36–38°C forecast and little rainfall expected while navigation restrictions continue on several European rivers due to critically low water levels.